← The Peter Attia Drive

#79 - Ric Elias: Earning the gift of life

Nov 11, 2019 1h 41m 20 insights
<p><span style="color: #333333;">In this episode, Ric Elias, founder of Red Ventures, opens up about the fateful day he knew for certain that he was going to die as a passenger on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549">US Airways Flight 1549</a>. Ric dives deep into how that day impacted his life, greatly changed his perspective, and improved his relationship with his family and the broader community. We also talk about his incredible role as CEO of an enormous company, his remarkable work in philanthropy, and all the wisdom he has acquired in his extraordinary life.<br /> <br /> We discuss:<br /></span></p> <ul> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Ric's life leading up to the day of the plane crash [<a href="">5:30</a>];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">The plane crash—What it's like knowing you're about to die, feelings of regret and sadness [<a href="">11:15</a>];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">The improbable plane landing in the Hudson River [<a href="">19:00</a>];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Emotions after the safe landing (and a story he's never told before) [25:45];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">A powerful story about Captain Sully [29:30];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Earning his second chance at life, and playing the "infinite game" [38:30];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Why time is the ultimate currency, and how (and why) to say "no" [46:15];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Raising kids in an achievement culture, Ric's definition of life success, and what Ric wants to instill in his kids [53:00];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">What Ric believes is actually worth getting upset, and the organizations that are taking steps to help people [<a href="">1:09:00</a>];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">The core principles of Red Ventures (Ric's company) [1:19:15];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">Ric's tips for developing business acumen and negotiation skills [1:29:30];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">What qualities does Ric look for in people he wants to work with? [1:32:50];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">What is the next big problem that Ric wants to solve? [1:35:30];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">What is the most challenging part of your business today? [1:37:30];<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">If Ric could go back and talk to himself in the morning before getting on that plane, what would he say? [1:39:15]; and<br /></span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">More.</span></li> </ul> <p>Learn more: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/">https://peterattiamd.com/</a><br /> <br /> Show notes page for this episode: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/ricelias" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://peterattiamd.com/ricelias</a><br /> <br /> Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/">https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/</a><br /> <br /> Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: <a href="https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/">https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/</a><br /> <br /> Connect with Peter on <a href="http://Facebook.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Faceboo</u></a><u>k</u> | <a href="http://Twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Twitter</u></a> | <a href="http://Instagram.com/PeterAttiaMD"><u>Instagram</u></a>.<br /> <br /></p>
Actionable Insights

1. Live with No Regrets

Reflect on your life to identify regrets, especially regarding missed experiences, unsaid affections, and unresolved conflicts. Prioritize what truly matters, like family and personal connections, over ego-driven arguments or trivial pursuits, as life can change in an instant.

2. Prioritize Happiness, Not Righteousness

Choose happiness over being right in arguments by recognizing that truth is often subjective and most issues are shades of gray. Be quick to apologize if you’ve offended someone, even if you don’t fully agree with the other person’s offense, to avoid wasting energy on negative conflicts.

3. Don’t Postpone Joy

Embrace the “collect bad wines” philosophy by living in the present and not deferring experiences or important actions. Open your best wine (metaphorically) now, take the trip, make the call, and take necessary risks, as life can change instantly.

4. Protect Your Time Ruthlessly

View time as your most precious currency, more valuable than wealth. Be comfortable and polite in saying “no” to commitments that don’t align with your core priorities or bring you joy, understanding that every “yes” is a “no” to something else. Track your time to ensure it’s spent purposefully.

5. Earn Your Gift

After a life-altering experience, commit to living with urgency, purpose, and humility. Continuously ask yourself if you are “earning your gift” by making the most of your time and opportunities.

6. Embrace the Infinite Game

View life as an “Infinite Game” where the primary goal is to continue playing, not to achieve a final win. This perspective encourages sustainable choices, like prioritizing health, to ensure long-term participation and well-being over fleeting pleasures.

7. Parent with Acceptance & Guidance

As a parent, focus on identifying and nurturing your child’s unique gifts, accepting their strengths and weaknesses without instilling shame. Meet them where they are, encourage their natural inclinations, and gradually release control as they mature, allowing them to feel continuous progress.

8. Model Desired Behaviors

Teach through action, not just words, by consistently modeling the behaviors you want to instill in others, especially children. Demonstrate hard work, kindness to strangers, and respect, avoiding righteous anger or petty complaints that teach negative habits.

9. Prioritize Self-Management

Cultivate deep self-awareness to understand your thoughts and emotions, then prioritize developing strong self-management and self-regulation skills. This emotional control is paramount for personal success and effective interactions in all aspects of life.

10. Compete for Self-Improvement

Understand the root of your competitive drive: whether it’s to defeat others, avoid failure, or continuously improve yourself. Strive to cultivate the third motivation, a “race against yourself,” for sustainable growth and long-term engagement.

11. Prepare for Crisis Leadership

Recognize that true leadership is defined by how you act in moments of crisis, not just when things are stable. Proactively prepare yourself and your organization for potential challenges by conducting scenario planning and “fire drills” to build readiness and consciousness.

12. Maximize “Threefer” Opportunities

When making decisions or planning activities, aim for “threefer” opportunities—actions that serve at least three purposes or yield multiple benefits simultaneously. This approach maximizes efficiency and impact by getting more value from a single effort.

13. Embrace Adaptability

Adopt the belief that “everything is written in pencil” to foster adaptability and continuous evolution within yourself or your organization. This mindset encourages experimentation and allows for necessary changes in a fast-paced world, rather than being anchored by rigid plans.

14. Maintain Pace, Get Reps

Adopt a “running up the escalators” approach, prioritizing consistent pace and numerous iterations (“reps”) to solve problems. Understand which tasks are “pass-fail” and execute them decisively with sufficient effort to maintain momentum, rather than over-investing in perfection where it’s not required.

15. Introspect for Intuition

Develop intuition and improve decision-making by not merely accumulating experiences, but by being deeply introspective about what happened in each situation. This critical reflection helps you recognize patterns and extract valuable lessons for future application.

16. Avoid Selfish, Negative People

Actively distance yourself from individuals who exhibit negative energy or selfishness. Look for subtle cues, such as those who take undue credit, and instead seek out people whose ambition is directed towards something greater than themselves.

17. Negotiate for Mutual Value

View negotiation as a process of identifying what the other party values more than you do, and what you value more than them. Strive to find solutions that create mutual value and work for everyone involved, rather than a win-lose outcome.

18. Influence, Not Negotiate

Understand that all interactions, personal and professional, are an ongoing “game of influence” rather than a win-lose negotiation. Actively seek to influence others with your thoughts while remaining open to being influenced yourself, fostering dynamic engagement.

19. Businesses as Force for Good

As a business leader, utilize your company’s platform and resources, beyond just financial contributions, to drive social impact and be a force for good in your community. Demonstrate that business success and positive societal contribution are not mutually exclusive.

20. Prioritize Trust Over Ads

Opt for a subscriber model instead of selling ads to maintain a simple, honest relationship with your audience and ensure trust in your recommendations. This also allows you to genuinely advocate only for things you truly believe in.